Rail bonds



June 11, 1957 J, R, W|| SQN 2,795,442

RAlL BONDS Filed Sept. 18. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.

Wllm, MMIII" IWH- Mlm. llllll/ 'HIIIII NW IN1/E R. John R. Wl n A T TORNE YS June 1l, 1957 J. R. wlLsoN 2,795,442

RAIL BONDS I v Filed Sept. 18. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1NVENTOR. John W//son WM V' H/s ATTORNEYS United States Patent RAIL BONDS Application September 18, 1951, Serial No. 247,110

4 Claims. (Cl. 287-203) This invention relates to rail bonds which are used to electrically connect adjacen-t rails of a railroad track so that current can be carried by the rails for signalling and other purposes. Rail bonds generally comprise a stranded flexible conductor and a terminal secured to each end of the conductor and adapted to be driven into a hole in a rail to make a tight electrical connection therewith.

The present invention provides a rail bond in which the terminals may be easily and rapidly applied to the rails and make a tight connection therewith.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention- Figure l is a side eleva-tion illustrating my rail bond applied to the adjacent ends of two railroad rails;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation of the rail bond;

Figure 4 is a partial longitudinal section through one end of a rail bond, on an enlarged scale;

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line V--V of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a partial longitudinal sect-ion through an end of the conductor and the inner sleeve;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the outer sleeve; and

Figures 8, 9 and 10 illustrate progressive stages in the application of the rail bond to a rail.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the adjacent ends of two rails 2 are connected by splice bars 3 by means of bolts 4 in the usual manner. The -rail bond comprises a flexible stranded conductor 5 having secured to it at each end an inner sleeve 6 and an outer sleeve 7. The llexible conductor 5 is made up of a plurality of copper strands 5a as shown in Figure 5. The inner sleeve 6 also is made of copper and is swaged to the end of the conductor so as to tightly secure the two parts together. Preferably rotary swaging is employed for uniting the parts.

Each of the inner sleeves 6 is received with a loose t in a bore 8 of the outer sleeve 7 which is made of stainless steel. The outer end 10 of the outer sleeve 7 preferably is closed and has a substantially greater thickness than the remainder of the sleeve. The outer sleeve 7 is provided with four longitudinal slots 11 and the inner end 12 of the outer sleeve 7 is crimped inwardly slightly so as to retain the inner sleeve 6 within it temporarily.

The manner of applying the rail bond to a rail 14 is illustrated in Figures 8, 9 and l0. When the rail bond is shipped by the manufacturer to the user, the outer sleeve 7 is in place on the inner sleeve 6 so that the outer sleeve will not become lost. Before applying the rail bond to the rail, the user removes the outer sleeve from the inner sleeve. This can be done readily by pulling the conductor 5 and sleeve 7 in opposite directions so as to cause the inner sleeve 6 to slide out of the bore 8 in the outer sleeve. The slots 11 in the outer sleeve allow the latter to expand suiciently so that the parts can be separated. One end of the conductor 5 with the inner sleeve 6 secured thereto is inserted through the hole 16 ice in the rail as shown in Figure 8 and the outer sleeve 7 is slid over the inner sleeve. The slots 11 in the outer sleeve allow the outer sleeve to expand sufliciently for this purpose. The lconductor 5, inner sleeve 6 kand outer sleeve 7 are then moved to enter the outer sleeve in the hole 16 as shown in Figure 9, and the outer sleeve is driven into tight engagement with the rail by hammering on the closed end 10 of the sleeve 7. The final position assumed by the parts is illustrated in Figure 10. Due .to the fact that the outer surface 17 of the sleeve 7 is tapered', the driving of the outer sleeve into the hole inthe rail exerts a powerful force on the inner sleeve 6 and more permanently secures it to the conductor 5.

The slots 11 in the outer sleevev 7 and the crimped end 12 of the outer sleeve cooperate in providing ,an arrangement whereby the outerlsleeve can be retained temporarily on the inner sleeve so that it will not become lost during handling and shipment and yet the outer sleeve can be readily removed from the inner sleeve so as to allow the inner sleeve to pass through the opening 16 in the rail and thereafter the outer sleeve can be readily assembled on the inner sleeve before the outer sleeve is driven into the opening in the rail.

The invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment but may be otherwise embodied or practiced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A rail bond terminal comprising a stranded conductor, an inner sleeve secured to the conductor adjacent one end thereof, the outer surface of said inner sleeve being cylindrical, an outer sleeve having a cylindrical -bore adapted to receive said inner sleeve and the end of the conductor secured to said inner sleeve, said outer sleeve having an inner open end and an outer closed end adapted to be struck by 'a hammer in driving the rail bond terminal into a hole in a rail, said outer sleeve having an outer surface which tapers from its closed end to its open end, said outer sleeve being provided with at least one longitudinal slot extending from its open end and terminating adjacent to but short of its closed end and the smaller end of said tapered outer sleeve being crimped inwardly so as to detachably retain the outer sleeve on the inner sleeve before the rail bond terminal is applied to a rail.

2. A rail bond terminal comprising a stranded conductor, an inner sleeve secured to the conductor adjacent one end thereof, the outer surface of said inner sleeve being cylindrical, an outer sleeve having a cylindrical bore adapted to receive said inner sleeve and the end of the iconductor secured to said inner sleeve, said outer sleeve having an inner open end and an outer closed end adapted to be struck by a hammer in driving the rail bond terminal into a hole in the rail, said outer sleeve having an outer surface which tapers from its closed end to its open end, said outer sleeve being provided with at least one longitudinal slot extending from its open end and terminating adjacent to but short of its closed end and said outer sleeve having inwardly directed means to detachably retain the outer sleeve on the inner sleeve before the rail bond terminal is applied to a rail.

3. A rail bond terminal comprising a stranded conductor, an inner sleeve secured to the conductor adjacent one end thereof, the outer surface of said inner sleeve being cylindrical, 'an outer sleeve having a cylindrical bore adapted to receive said inner sleeve and the end of the conductor secured to said inner sleeve, said outer sleeve having an inner open end and an outer end adapted to be struck by a hammer in driving the rail bond terminal into a hole in the rail, said outer sleeve having an outer surface which tapers from its outer end to its open end, said outer sleeve being provided with at least one longitudinal slot extending from its outer end and terminating adjacentV to but short of its closed end and the shorter end of said tapered outer sleeve being crimped inwardly so as to detachably retain the outer sleeve on the innerl sleeve before the rail bond terminal is applied :man: .Y Y A Y A raii bondl terminali comprising a strandedA conductr-,an-inner sleeve secured to the conductor adjacent one end thereof, the outer surface of said inner sleeve being cylindrical, an outer sleeve having a cylindrical bore 'adapted to receive sa-id inner sleeve and the end of the conductor secured to said inner sleeve, said outer sleeve having aninnerropen `end and an outer closed end adapted to be struck by a hammer in driving the rail bond terminal into 'a hole in a rail, rsaicl outer sleeve having-an outer ufaee-Whieh tapers f-roin its closed end to its open end, said outer sleeve being provided with at least one Ingitudinal slot extending from its open e'nd and termihating kailjaceri't to but short of its closed end, the open end of the outer sleeve being in spaced relationship to the stranded conductor 'after the rail bond 'terininl has been applied to the rail.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 449,721 Wheeler Apr. 7, 1891 517,884 Paulsen Apr. 10, 1894 562,107 Wiggin June 16, 1896 609,252 Tucker Aug. 16, 1898 697,890 Rowell Apr. l5, 1902 843,763 McLaughlin Feb. l2, 1907 1,023,340 Sturdevant Apr. 16, 1912 1,643,110 Briggs f Sept. 20, 1927 1,865,723 Pipes `Tuly 5, 1932 1,886,086 Damon Nov. 1, 1932 1,909,344 Green et al May 16, 1933 2,357,733 Guderian Sept. 5, 1944 

